Where do you gain weight in pregnancy
Weight gain during pregnancy
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KEY POINTS
It’s best to start pregnancy at a healthy weight. Talk to your provider to find out a healthy weight for you before you get pregnant.
Gaining too much or too little weight during pregnancy can be harmful to you and your baby.
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Don’t ever try to lose weight during pregnancy.
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You only need about 300 extra calories a day during pregnancy to support your baby’s growth and development.
Is weight gain important during pregnancy?
Yes. Gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy can help protect your health and the health of your baby.
If you gain too little weight during pregnancy, you’re more likely than other women to:
- Have a premature baby.
A premature baby is born too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
- Have a baby with low birthweight. Low birthweight means your baby is born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
If you gain too much weight during pregnancy, you’re more likely than other women to:
- Have a premature baby. Premature babies may have health problems at birth and later in life, including being overweight or obese. Being obese means you have an excess amount of body fat.
- Have a baby with fetal macrosomia. This is when your baby is born weighing more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces. Having a baby this large can cause complications, like problems during labor and heavy bleeding after birth.
- Need a cesarean birth (also called c-section). Your baby is born through a cut that your health care provider makes in your belly and your uterus in this surgery.
- Have trouble losing weight after your baby’s birth. This can increase your risk for health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.
How much weight should you gain during pregnancy?
Your health care provider uses your body mass index (also called BMI) before pregnancy to figure out how much weight you should gain during pregnancy. BMI is a measure of body fat based on your height and weight. To find out your BMI, go to www.cdc.gov/bmi.
If you’re pregnant with one baby or twins, use the following chart to find your recommended weight gain based on your BMI before pregnancy. If you’re pregnant with triplets or more, talk to your provider about the amount of weight you should gain during pregnancy.
If you’re overweight or obese and are gaining less than the recommended amounts, talk to your provider. If your baby is still growing well, your weight gain may be fine.
Gaining weight slowly and steadily is best. Don't worry too much if you don’t gain any weight in the first trimester, or if you gain a little more or a little less than you think you should in any week. You may have some growth spurts—this is when you gain several pounds in a short time and then level off.
Don’t ever try to lose weight during pregnancy.
If you’re worried about your weight gain, talk to your health care provider.
How can you track your weight gain during pregnancy?
Your provider checks your weight at each prenatal care visit. Use our weight-gain tracking chart to track your weight yourself.
Where do you gain the weight during pregnancy?
You know that your growing baby makes up part of the weight you’re gaining. But what about the rest? Here’s a general idea:
- Baby = 7.5 pounds
- Amniotic fluid = 2 pounds. Amniotic fluid surrounds the baby in the womb.
- Blood = 4 pounds
- Body fluids = 3 pounds
- Breasts = 2 pounds
- Fat, protein and other nutrients = 6 to 8 pounds
- Placenta = 1.5 pounds. The placenta grows in your uterus and supplies the baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord.
- Uterus = 2 pounds. The uterus is the place inside you where your baby grows.
Last reviewed: September 2020
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Weight Gain During Pregnancy: How Much Is Normal?
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
Reviewed by Traci C. Johnson, MD on June 12, 2022
In this Article
- Where Does the Extra Weight Go During Pregnancy?
- Is It Safe to Lose Weight When Pregnant?
- How to Gain the Right Amount of Weight During Pregnancy
- What if You Gain Too Much Weight During Pregnancy?
- When to Call Your Doctor
Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help your baby get the nutrients they need and grow at a healthy rate. But how many extra calories do you really need?
Though you do need some extra calories, it's not necessary to ''eat for two.
'' The average pregnant woman needs only about 300 healthycalories more a day than they did before they were pregnant. This will help them gain the right amount of weight during pregnancy.
Ask your health care provider how much weight you should gain. A woman who was average weight before getting pregnant should gain 25 to 35 pounds after becoming pregnant. Underweight women should gain 28 to 40 pounds. And overweight women may need to gain only 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy.
In general, you should gain about 2 to 4 pounds during the first 3 months you're pregnant and 1 pound a week during the rest of your pregnancy. If you are expecting twins you should gain 35 to 45 pounds during your pregnancy. This would be an average of 1 ½ pounds per week after the usual weight gain in the first 3 months.
It's especially important to gain the right amount of weight when you're expecting twins because your weight affects the babies' weight. And because twins are often born before the due date, a higher birth weight is important for their health.
When carrying twins, you may need between 3,000 and 3,500 calories a day.
Where Does the Extra Weight Go During Pregnancy?
- Baby: 8 pounds
- Placenta: 2-3 pounds
- Amniotic fluid: 2-3 pounds
- Breast tissue: 2-3 pounds
- Blood supply: 4 pounds
- Stored fat for delivery and breastfeeding: 5-9 pounds
- Larger uterus: 2-5 pounds
- Total: 25-35 pounds
Is It Safe to Lose Weight When Pregnant?
If a woman is very overweight when they get pregnant, their doctor may want them to lose weight. They should only lose weight under their doctor's care. But in most cases, women should not try to lose weight or diet during pregnancy.
How to Gain the Right Amount of Weight During Pregnancy
If your health care provider wants you to gain weight while you're pregnant, try these tips:
- Eat five to six small meals every day.
- Keep quick, easy snacks on hand, such as nuts, raisins, cheese and crackers, dried fruit, and ice cream or yogurt.
- Spread peanut butter on toast, crackers, apples, bananas, or celery. One tablespoon of creamy peanut butter gives you about 100 calories and 7 grams of protein.
- Add nonfat powdered milk to mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and hot cereal.
- Add extras to your meal, such as butter or margarine, cream cheese, gravy, sour cream, and cheese.
What if You Gain Too Much Weight During Pregnancy?
If you have gained more weight than your doctor recommended, talk to your doctor about it. In most cases, you'll want to wait until after delivery to lose weight.
Here are some tips to slow your weight gain:
- When eating fast food, choose lower-fat items such as broiled chicken breast sandwich with tomato and lettuce (no sauce or mayonnaise), side salad with low-fat dressing, plain bagels, or a plain baked potato. Avoid foods such as French fries, mozzarella sticks, or breaded chicken patties.
- Avoid whole milk products. You need at least four servings of milk products every day.
However, using skim, 1%, or 2% milk will greatly reduce the amount of calories and fat you eat. Also, choose low-fat or fat-free cheese or yogurt. - Limit sweet or sugary drinks. Sweetened drinks such as soft drinks, fruit punch, fruit drinks, iced tea, lemonade, or powdered drink mixes have lots of empty calories. Choose water, club soda, or mineral water to skip extra calories.
- Don't add salt to foods when cooking. Salt causes you to retain water.
- Limit sweets and high-calorie snacks. Cookies, candies, donuts, cakes, syrup, honey, and potato chips have a lot of calories and little nutrition. Try not to eat these foods every day. Instead, try fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt, angel food cake with strawberries, or pretzels as lower-calorie snack and dessert choices.
- Use fats in moderation. Fats include cooking oils, margarine, butter, gravy, sauces, mayonnaise, regular salad dressings, sauces, lard, sour cream, and cream cheese. Try lower-fat alternatives.
- Cook food the healthy way.
Frying foods in oil or butter will add calories and fat. Baking, broiling, grilling, and boiling are healthier preparation methods. - Exercise. Moderate exercise can help burn excess calories. Walking or swimming is usually safe for pregnant women. Ask your health care provider what exercise would be right for you before getting started.
When to Call Your Doctor
Talk to your doctor if you:
- Want to know a good target weight gain for you
- Think you are gaining too much weight
- Are losing weight during the second or third trimester
- Have an eating disorder that is keeping you from eating a healthy amount of food
- Need help setting a good menu plan to gain a healthy amount of weight
- Gain weight rapidly. This could be a sign of preeclampsia, pregnancy-related high blood pressure, a serious health issue
Health & Pregnancy Guide
- Getting Pregnant
- First Trimester
- Second Trimester
- Third Trimester
- Labor and Delivery
- Pregnancy Complications
- All Guide Topics
Weight gain during pregnancy - how not to gain weight?
Contents:
- What are the optimal weight limits?
- Pregnancy Weight Chart
- How to weigh yourself correctly during pregnancy
- Why does weight gain occur?
During pregnancy, it is important for a woman to eat a varied diet so as not to deprive the unborn baby of essential minerals and nutrients.
Both excessive weight gain and weight loss are equally dangerous. But evidence suggests that more than half of European and American women gain more weight during pregnancy than recommended 1 . So now is the time to give up what does not bring any benefit, but only extra pounds: sweet, fatty, fast food. Being overweight can cause problems during pregnancy and childbirth.
What are the optimal weight limits?
The average weight gain during pregnancy is about 10-12.5 kilograms 2 . But a child is born weighing 3-4 kilograms, where does everything else come from and when does the excess go away?
In addition to the fetus itself, the uterus and breasts become larger in preparation for feeding. Muscle and fat increase - the body stores energy.
This is how the weight gained by a woman during pregnancy is distributed on the eve of feeding,
0.9 kg - amniotic fluid,
1.4–1.8 kg - blood and organic fluids, thanks to which the child receives the necessary oxygen,
0.
9 kg - uterus (20 times more than normal weight),
0.7 kg - placenta, the main element through which the fetus receives nutrients.
Add the weight of the unborn baby, and you will get the approximate weight that a woman gains in nine months.
Doctors say that everything is individual and there are no uniform standards for how many kilograms to gain during pregnancy. But let things take their course, there is something horrible and you can’t completely forget about the scales. Watch your weight - you will avoid many problems during pregnancy and childbirth and easily return to your previous weight. You will have "strategic reserves" for feeding the baby. Don't worry, those extra pounds will go away as quickly as they appeared. But only on the condition that you eat right during pregnancy and lactation.
Pregnancy weight chart
The recommended weight gain during pregnancy for women with a normal body mass index is 11.5-16 kilograms. Those who are overweight during pregnancy are advised to gain a little less - from 7 to 11.
5 kilograms. Those who are expecting twins or triplets, on the contrary, should score more. For example, in a multiple pregnancy with twins for a woman of normal weight, the recommended weight gain is from 16.8 to 24.5 kilograms 3 .
Trimester weight gain during pregnancy varies 3 . A woman gains the least during the first trimester - from 1.6 to 2.3 kg. Nausea in the first trimester usually causes loss of appetite and some weight loss may occur.
In the second and third trimesters, a woman gains an average of 200 to 500 g per week.
Pregnancy weight gain: weekly chart, weight in kilograms
| Week | Minimum | Average weight | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| 15 | 1.6 | 2 | 2. 4 |
| 16 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.8 |
| 17 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 3.4 |
| 18 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.4 |
| 19 | 3 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
| 20 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 5 |
| 21 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5.6 |
| 22 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 6.2 |
| 23 | 4.6 | 5.7 | 6.9 |
| 24 | 4.9 | 6.1 | 7.4 |
| 25 | 5.3 | 6.6 | 8 |
| 26 | 5.6 | 7 | 8.5 |
| 27 | 6 | 7.5 | 9 |
| 28 | 6.3 | 7.9 | 9.5 |
| 29 | 6.7 | 8.3 | 9.9 |
| 30 | 7 | 8. 7 | 10.4 |
| 31 | 7.3 | 9 | 10.8 |
| 32 | 7.5 | 9.4 | 11.3 |
| 33 | 7.8 | 9.7 | 11.7 |
| 34 | 8.1 | 10.1 | 12.1 |
| 35 | 8.4 | 10.5 | 12.6 |
| 36 | 8.6 | 10.8 | 13 |
| 37 | 9 | 11.2 | 13.5 |
| 38 | 9.3 | 11.6 | 14 |
| 39 | 9.4 | 11.7 | 14.1 |
| 40 | 9.5 | 11.8 | 14.2 |
How to weigh yourself correctly during pregnancy
Doctors do not recommend weighing yourself daily, it is not always informative, fluctuations are not always noticeable, the error is large, and in general this can lead to unnecessary worries.
The correct option: control the weight once a week, in the morning, on an empty stomach. It is important to use the same scales, now the priority is “dynamics”. Weigh yourself only at home or in the office of your gynecologist.
Why does weight gain occur?
Excess weight is caused by hormonal changes in the body, which makes the expectant mother constantly feel hungry. Many pregnant women decide that now they need to eat for two. No need. Just eat twice as good - more varied, more correct, but not more.
Sources:
* Not a drug. dietary supplement. There are contraindications. ** Estimated period of use within the Elevit line of vitamin and mineral complexes. According to the instructions, Elevit Pronatal can be used at the stage of pregnancy planning, during pregnancy, after childbirth and during breastfeeding.
- Healthy maternal nutrition: a better start to life report WHO, Regional Office for Europe 2016.
- https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/pregnancy/how-much-weight-will-i-put-on-during-my-pregnancy/
- Poston L.
Gestational weight gain // https://www.uptodate.com/contents/gestational-weight-gain, accessed 07.10.2018.
CH-20220504-32
Weight during pregnancy. What increase is considered optimal?
Why is excessive weight gain during pregnancy particularly harmful? What should be the calorie content of the diet? How to build your diet so that you can eat varied (and tasty), but at the same time not gain too much? Let's figure it out.
What makes up weight gain during pregnancy?
An increase in the subcutaneous fat layer during pregnancy is a normal and natural process.
While the baby is growing inside you, he needs energy and external protection. But during pregnancy, weight increases not only and not so much due to the adipose tissue of the mother: there is more fluid in the body, the uterus grows, the fetus and placenta develop, and the breasts increase in preparation for the feeding process.
Interestingly, weight loss during the period of toxicosis can later provoke its increase: the body will try to regain what was lost.
Expectant mothers especially actively gain weight in the second trimester and the beginning of the third, but closer to childbirth, a pregnant woman can even lose 1-2 kilograms.
As long as the weight grows more or less evenly and does not go beyond the upper limit of the norm, there is nothing to worry about. But if your weight is rapidly going up, you should be wary.
How to correctly calculate the weight, and what increase is considered optimal?
In Russian obstetric practice, it is generally accepted that the total increase should not exceed 12 kg. for the entire pregnancy. Of these 12 kg. 5-6 accounts for the fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid, another 1.5-2 - for an increase in the uterus and mammary glands, and only 3-3.5 - for the fat mass of a woman.
But this is a general indicator, a kind of "average temperature in the hospital." The optimal increase is calculated individually and depends on the initial weight of the pregnant woman, her age, the number of fetuses and the size of the child (children), physical activity.
WHO recommends that optimal weight gain be calculated based on Body Mass Index (BMI).
It is determined by the formula: body weight (kg) / height squared (m).
| BMI | Recommended weight gain |
|---|---|
| 19.8-26 (normal body weight) | 12.5-15 kg |
| 26.1-29 (overweight) | 11.5 - 14 kg |
| over 29 (obese) | 7-9 kg |
How to calculate the optimal weight gain?
To do this, use the following chart:
- Calculate your BMI: Divide your initial weight in kg. for height in meters squared.
For example, your “pre-pregnancy” weight was 60 kg with a height of 170 cm.
BMI = 60: (170 x 170) = 20.76.
- A BMI of less than 18.5 indicates underweight. Indicators from 18.5 to 25 are within the norm, from 25 to 30 are above the norm, and a figure greater than 30 indicates obesity.
- Now that you know your BMI, find the optimal weekly increase in the table and compare it with yours.
| Week of pregnancy | Underweight before pregnancy (BMI less than 18.5) | Normal pre-pregnancy weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9) | Overweight before pregnancy (BMI over 30) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0-0.9 kg | 0-0.7 kg | 0-0.5 kg |
| 6 | 0-1.4 kg | 0-1 kg | 0-0.6 kg |
| 8 | 0-1.6 kg | 0-1.2 kg | 0-0.7 kg |
| 10 | 0-1.8 kg | 0-1.3 kg | 0-0.8 kg |
| 12 | 0-2 kg | 0-1.5 kg | 0-1 kg |
| 14 | 0.5-2.7 kg | 0.5-2 kg | 0.5-1.2 kg |
| 16 | up to 3.6 kg | up to 3 kg | up to 1. 4 kg |
| 18 | up to 4.6 kg | up to 4 kg | up to 2.3 kg |
| 20 | up to 6 kg | up to 5.9 kg | up to 2.9 kg |
| 22 | up to 7.2 kg | up to 7 kg | up to 3.4 kg |
| 24 | up to 8.6 kg | up to 8.5 kg | up to 3.9 kg |
| 26 | up to 10 kg | up to 10 kg | up to 5 kg |
| 28 | up to 13 kg | up to 11 kg | up to 5.4 kg |
| 30 | up to 14 kg | up to 12 kg | up to 5.9 kg |
| 32 | up to 15 kg | up to 13 kg | up to 6.4 kg |
| 34 | up to 16 kg | up to 14 kg | up to 7.3 kg |
| 36 | up to 17 kg | up to 15 kg | up to 7.9 kg |
| 38 | up to 18 kg | up to 16 kg | up to 8. 6 kg |
| 40 | up to 18 kg | up to 16 kg | up to 9.1 kg |
Recently, doctors are increasingly talking about an individual approach and urge not to panic if the increase is slightly beyond the normal range. When assessing the state of health of a pregnant woman, the doctor focuses not only on weight, but also takes into account the results of tests and examinations and other important indicators.
Why is excessive weight gain dangerous?
Gaining extra pounds can lead to gestational diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, or cause a caesarean section.
In addition, excessive weight gain during pregnancy may increase the risk of obesity and associated cardiovascular disease.
What can I do to keep my weight within normal limits during pregnancy?
First of all, consult a nutritionist. If there is no such doctor in the antenatal clinic, it makes sense to contact a specialist on a commercial basis.
He will develop an individual diet, which will contain all the useful elements, and will offer to keep a food diary. It will also tell you how to eat right and weigh yourself.
To prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy, it is enough to follow simple rules of a healthy diet:
- Eat often and in small portions;
- Always have a “healthy snack” on hand: fresh apple wedges, unsweetened crackers, dried fruit, or sugar-free yogurt;
- Refuse soda, chips, sausages and sausages;
- Minimize the consumption of sweets;
- Avoid fast food;
- Limit the use of seasonings, especially salt, which retains water in the body;
- Choose steamed dishes;
- Eat more fiber-rich foods such as whole grain bread, bran, vegetables;
The diet of a pregnant woman should be varied. Include grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat and fish, legumes, or nuts.
It must be remembered that expectant mothers should never starve and adhere to extreme diets.
How many calories do you need per day during pregnancy?
It is difficult to calculate the energy value per day on your own, and then strictly adhere to a certain number of calories, and it is not necessary if it is not recommended by a nutritionist or endocrinologist. On average, you can aim for 2000-2500 calories per day, but it is important to understand that the need for calories depends on many factors: age, initial weight, health status and level of physical activity.
When should I be on the alert?
Strictly speaking, it is better for a pregnant woman not to worry and entrust her condition to a doctor who will monitor the development of pregnancy, analyzes and monitor weight. It is important to take tests to determine the level of fasting blood glucose once a trimester. The appearance of glucosuria, an increase in fasting blood glucose (more than 5.5 mmol / l) or an hour after a meal (more than 7.7 mmol / l) indicate the possible development of "diabetes in pregnancy", in connection with which the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment .
